A total of 338 of the 360 deputies who hold the seats in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of appointing Rustem Umerov as the new defense minister on Wednesday morning amid corruption scandals. The Ukrainian parliament thus supported the decision of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has a comfortable majority in the chamber. Umerov, a Crimean Tatar who came from the management of the state property fund and the military of the opposition holos (voice), was met with only the refusal of a deputy. Another 21 were absent from the vote.
In your opinion, what are the reasons for the change in leadership in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine? One of the reasons why it is surprising is that it is set in the middle of a counter-offensive and after 18 months of war.
It was rumored for a while. (Former Defense Minister Oleksii) Reznikov wanted to do something else. He was appointed after disputes flared up between (his predecessor at the head of the ministry, Andriy) Zahorodniuk and (the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valeri) Zaluzhni, but it was seen as an interim solution. Then came the war. After the food price corruption scandal, many thought he would take the opportunity to muddle through. But he speaks good English, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy needed a negotiator for tanks, F16s, etc. So he had to move on. (Rustem) Umerov is more of an organizer than a diplomat, but I think that suits the job best.
Do you think that with the arrival of Umerov there will be a change of course?
No. Umerov was a member of the Rada’s Oversight Committee on Western Arms Supply before moving to the state fund. This is nothing new in defense.
How is the counter-offensive developing? While there has been progress, it does not appear to be significant at the moment.
It’s certainly slower than most expected, especially in Ukraine. We’ll see if the pace of progress picks up. Two unknowns make predictions difficult: the extent of attrition and the amount of reserves Ukraine and Russia still have. To capitalize on a breakthrough, the Ukrainians must not only use forces to crush Russian reserves, but also protect the flanks of the advancing forces. This will consume a lot of powers if they are available. On the other hand, the Russians are resuming offensive actions in Kharkiv, Lugansk and Donetsk, consuming the Russian reserves they would need in the south. This could represent an opportunity for Ukraine.